HEADLINES - Dalhousie University
September 2015 / VOLUME 10/ ISSUE 5HEADLINESNews from the Department of Psychiatry at Dalhousie UniversityFEATURECOVER STORYMeet the class of 2020New PGY-1 residents welcomed to departmentNew residents: Back (L-R): Melissa Lahti, Alexandra (Ali) Manning, Katherine (Katie) Radchuck. Front (L-R):Nadia Hassanali, Crystal Zhou, Matt Havenga, Laura Downing.On July 1, 2015 the Class of 2020began their postgraduate trainingin the Department of Psychiatry.Among the seven PGY-1s are fourgraduates from Dalhousie MedicalSchool, one from the University ofAlberta, one from Memorial Universityof Newfoundland, and one fromTrinity College Dublin School ofMedicine in Ireland. Unlike last year,this class is made almost entirely offemale residents, with only one male,aligning with the growing trend ofmore female residents in psychiatry.The PGY-1 year differs fromother postgraduate training yearsin that the PGY-1 residents arescheduled to rotate through manyother departments. The first blockof the year is designed to helpthem become familiar with theDepartment of Psychiatry whilebeing matched with a psychiatristmentor and attending a series of[Continued on page 3]www.psych.dal.ca
in this issue1class of 20202message from the head5research report6education report9child and adolescent reportreport from the sun life chair10global psychiatry11news and announcements15resident’s corner16photo featureThis newsletter is published forthe Department of Psychiatry atDalhousie University.5909 Veterans’ Memorial Lane,8th Floor, Abbie J. Lane BuildingHalifax, NS B3H 2E2Editor: Dr. Aidan StokesCompilation, Layout, and Design:Kate RogersSubmissions should be sent to:Kate.Rogers@nshealth.ca2www.psych.dal.caMessage from the HeadThe front-page story of this issue ofHeadlines helps us to get to knowour new PGY1 residents: Drs. LauraDowning, Nadia Hassanali, MatthewHavenga, Melissa Lahti, AlexandraManning, Katherine Radchuck, andCrystal Zhou. I am very happy to seethat they are all getting an excellentstart in their careers in psychiatry, andthat morale is high within the residentgroup.This issue’s article on “Meet anEducator” features Dr. SherryJames, who is a clinician at theBedford-Sackville Mental HealthClinic and the Associate ProgramDirector and Director of Fellowshipand Subspecialty Training Programs.Dr. James was an educator beforegoing into medicine and has beenable to merge successfully hertwo major career interests. Ourdepartment is fortunate to have Dr.James and a number of other welltrained and expert educators. I notethat two of our PGY1 residents havebackgrounds in teaching, and theirskills and knowledge in this area willserve to strengthen an already strongcontribution to teaching by our residentbody. I am confident that the comingyears will see increasing excellence ineducation and educational scholarshipin our department.Congratulations to Dr. Gail Eskes,whose work was recently recognizedby the Heart and Stroke Foundation,and welcome to Dr. Jacob Cookey,one of the three graduates of ourgeneral psychiatry training program in2015, who has just become a memberof our faculty.You will note on pages 10 and11 a thought-provoking piece onthe importance of governmentDr. Nick Delvasupport for social housing by Ms.Sandra Hennigar. Ms. Hennigarurges us to be politically engaged,and speak with the candidates inthe upcoming federal election andask them about their views on socialhousing. I would suggest that we alsoengage the candidates for federaloffice in discussions about mentalhealthcare. We live every day withan underfunded “non-system” ofmental healthcare, and I cannot saythat funding has been improving inrecent years, despite the inaugurationof the Mental Health Commission ofCanada and a higher level of visibilityand societal acceptance of mentalillness. Some parts of the non-systemare particularly dysfunctional, likethe lack of a coordinated approachto the care of those with intellectualdisabilities. Governments have notbeen motivated to do anything muchto change the status quo, and thedrive is rather to reduce spendingon healthcare in general. Our costsare only going up, but the mentalhealth budget does not keep up withthis, let alone expand to allow ourexisting programs to be “right-sized”or new programs developed. I wouldtherefore encourage all to get involvedin the political process and amongother things, engage the candidatesfor federal office in discussionson equitable funding for mentalhealthcare.
New residents continued from page 1orientation sessions. Learners spendtwo separate blocks of training inpsychiatry at the Saint John trainingsite, completing emergency andconsultation/liaison training, andcommunity psychiatry training. Theyalso have one block of emergencypsychiatry in the ER at the HalifaxInfirmary, two blocks of training ingeneral medicine, two in neurology,two in emergency medicine and oneblock of family medicine. Beyond this,they are permitted two blocks of theirchoice. Needless to say, our newPGY-1s are in for a busy year! You’llbe introduced to each one of thembelow.Laura DowningOriginating from: Harbour Grace,NewfoundlandMedical School: Memorial Universityof NewfoundlandWhy she chose the DalhousieDepartment of Psychiatry: I wasvery interested in the psychotherapyprogram offered beginning in thesecond year, and that really pushedme to choose Dalhousie. I also havea cluster of family here and it wasmuch easier for my significant otherto transfer his employment. Finally,another great thing Dalhousie offersis the mentorship program to startoff your residency. It is one monthof psychiatry in an area you’reinterested in. It might seem silly,but I was really worried about howresidency would knock me off my feetin the first year. I really appreciatedthat the program started you off withyour home speciality to get your feetwet, and get used to being called“doctor.”Specific areas of interest inpsychiatry: Perhaps it’s affectionfor crime and mystery novels, or myprevious interest in law school, but Iam intrigued by forensics. On anotherspectrum, geriatrics and palliativecare work has always filled me withhappiness, and my previous work inprenatal care lends me some interestin prenatal/postnatal psychiatry. Ithink in short, it’s definitely a mysterywhere I will go, one that hopefully willbe solved at the end of five years.Highlight of first month in thedepartment: I am continuallysurprised by how much you can learnfrom clients and their families; howmuch personal information peoplewill give you and entrust in you. Ona non-work related note, I’ve beenenjoying the Halifax life and havedeveloped a love for salt water taffy.Biggest challenge so far: It’schallenging being in a new provinceand getting used to different policies,staff and the general areas. InNewfoundland, I had a personalcontest over the past years to visitevery community. I’m only missingfive! I really believe when youunderstand the context of where aperson lives and what’s available youcan provide the most comprehensivecare. Also, it’s comforting forpeople to know that you’ve been totheir hometown, older patients inparticular. So this is challenging that Iam now adrift in a (somewhat) foreignlocation. It’s a work in progresshowever, and a new goal to exploreand get to know a new place and thepeople.Second career choice: Asmentioned, I’d wanted to be a lawyerfor a good chunk of my childhood, butI actually chose Bachelor of Nursingas my undergraduate (probablybecause my family tried to talk meout of it; they are all nurses). I reallyloved my community-based positionsworking in wound care/palliative carein St. John’s and Public Health innorthern Labrador.Interesting fact: I love to write,and have written a novel. It’s adisaster and won’t be a best selleranytime soon, but it was a bigaccomplishment for me. A secondstrange thing is my relatively highspeaking voice, but yet I sing Tenor/Bass in choir. It always gives peoplea good shock if I burst out in song.Nadia HassanaliOriginating from: Mississauga,OntarioMedical School: University of Dublin,Trinity College Dublin in Ireland.Why she chose the DalhousieDepartment of Psychiatry:Dalhousie has an excellentreputation, it's within a relatively largecity with a small town feel, and theprogram itself focused on a varietyof unique aspects that other schoolsdid not have. The people that I metthroughout the interview process alsosolidified Dal as one of the schoolsthat I'd like to attend for my PGME.Specific areas of interest inpsychiatry: I am interested ingeriatric psychiatry, but wouldn't ruleout reproductive mental health, orglobal health either. Regardless of thespecialty that I enter, I would like tobe community-based.Highlight of first month in thedepartment: Looking back at thepast month, meeting so manywonderful people is one of thehighlights of coming to Dalhousie.Everyone has been extremely cordialand welcoming. I won't lie—thosewww.psych.dal.ca3
Wednesday lunches aren't tooshabby either!Biggest challenge so far: Gettingused to so many different passwordsbetween the QEII and IWK!Second career choice: I would loveto be involved in education as I was ahigh school science teacher in a priorlife, but I also wouldn't mind applyingfor Jon Montgomery's job on TheAmazing Race Canada, if he were toever leave the show.Interesting fact: I was named afterNadia Comaneci, who scored thefirst perfect 10 in gymnastics at the1976 Olympics, which my parentscoincidentally attended. I however,have never participated in the sport.Matt HavengaOriginating from: Wood Islands,Prince Edward IslandMedical School: DalhousieUniversityWhy he chose the DalhousieDepartment of Psychiatry: Duringmy third year psychiatry rotation, Ihad an awesome experience on theSSU and 7 Lane, both with the staffand residents. The residents seemedvery happy with the program andthere was a great sense of moralewithin the group. The staff were alsokeen to teach and made me feel likea valued member of the team.Specific areas of interest inpsychiatry: At this point, it’s tooearly for me to tell, although, I couldsee myself working at least partlyin an acute care setting. The EarlyPsychosis Clinic would also be aninteresting area to work in.Highlight of first month in thedepartment: Wednesday lunches!4www.psych.dal.caBiggest challenge so far: Learningthe art of a psychiatric interview.especially the timing.Second career choice: GeneralSurgery.Interesting fact: I have a Dutch/German heritage!Melissa LahtiOriginating from: This is alwaysa difficult question to answer. Imainly grew up in Fredericton, NBsince grade 7. Prior to that I lived inThailand and the US and was born inBangkok, Thailand.Medical School: DalhousieUniversity (Saint John campus)Why she chose the DalhousieDepartment of Psychiatry: Theexcellent program and the supportivecommunity. The residents seemedvery happy as well.Specific areas of interest inpsychiatry: I don’t have any inparticular at the moment. I still findmost of it fascinating, so deciding onjust one aspect is difficult.Highlight of first month in thedepartment: Being in psychiatry!It’s been a month off service andI already miss it. More seriouslythough, it was great to find clinicalresearch much more interesting thanI thought it would be, and I hope topursue that more in the future.Biggest challenge so far: Thebiggest challenge so far hasbeen getting used to the idea thatI’m a physician and the newerresponsibilities associated with it.Second career choice: I probablywould have gone into engineeringas a back-up choice, but there is noclear second option that I can thinkof—maybe physics. I have multiple“fun” retirement jobs that I thinkabout –like chocolate maker, florist, orinterior designer.Interesting fact: My favourite fruit isprobably durian.Alexandra ManningOriginating from: Head of StMargaret's Bay, Nova ScotiaMedical School: DalhousieUniversityWhy she chose the DalhousieDepartment of Psychiatry: It feltlike the right fit for me. It emphasizedflexibility in the program to be ableto have some ability to shape yourresidency training to fit my longterm professional goals. The warmcollegiality also helped sway me.Specific areas of interest inpsychiatry: Child and adolescentpsychiatry is an area of interestfor me. Before medicine I studiededucation and worked as a teacher. Ihave an interest in how mental illnesspresents in the classroom and theintersection between the psychiatryand pedagogy. Specifically, I'minterested in creating spaces withinthe discourse of education for betterunderstanding the emotional, socialand cognitive challenges of studentswith early psychosis in the classroom.Highlight of first month in thedepartment: I really enjoyed mymentorship month in Child andAdolescent psychiatry. It's a muchbroader field than I had thought.Biggest challenge so far: Adjustingto the new identity of being apsychiatrist.Second career choice: That's atough one! I don't know if I reallyhad a second; I'd say I had two
first choice careers: psychiatry andpaediatrics.Interesting fact: I am a millenniumchild (/adult?)!Katherine RadchuckOriginating from: Halifax, NovaScotiaMedical School: DalhousieUniversityWhy she chose the DalhousieDepartment of Psychiatry: A strongpull for me throughout the CaRMStour was that I could tell the residentsare happy at Dal and seemed to bewell supported by their department.I was also excited to be a part of astrong department that has the depthto allow residents to explore differentareas of interest.Specific areas of interest inpsychiatry: I am drawn towardsthe extremes in age. I have lovedneurodevelopmental disordersthroughout my electives, but willremain open to geriatrics, as Iimagine there will be a growing needin our community.Highlight of first month in thedepartment: It’s hard to pick onemoment! Getting to know the otherresidents in my year has been great.Biggest challenge so far: Gettingused to being the resident on-callwhile on internal medicine!Second career choice: ProfessionalSoccer player followed by guidancecounsellor, since I don’t think I couldphysically last too long in the former!Interesting fact: I played in twowomen’s soccer junior world cuptournaments representing Canada.Crystal ZhouOriginating from: Red Deer, AlbertaMedical School: University of AlbertaWhy she chose the DalhousieDepartment of Psychiatry: I did anelective here a year ago and lovedthe program, the clinicians I workedwith, and the city.Specific areas of interest inpsychiatry: Mental health systemsimprovement, and addictions.Highlight of first month in thedepartment: Choosing a single highpoint of my first month is challenging.Meeting my fellow residents hasbeen very fun, and my mentorshipmonth with Dr. Ava Muir has beenwonderful!Biggest challenge so far: Setting upa home from scratch - it's been a longtime since I last moved.Second career choice: Speechlanguage pathologyInteresting fact: I love travelling theworld, photography, and putting thosetwo things together!Research ReportBY MS. JANET BARDON, ADMINISTRATOR, RESEARCH25th annual department of psychiatry research dayThis year’s event is scheduled forFriday, October 23, 2015 at the LordNelson Hotel. Now in its 25th year,Psychiatry Research Day promotesstudent involvement in research andshowcases the department’s diverseexpertise to our university and localcommunities. This year we will begiving presentation awards in thefollowing categories:* undergraduate;* graduate;* resident;* junior faculty; and* psychiatry staff.We are pleased to announce thatthis year’s keynote speaker will beDr. Zafiris Jeffrey Daskalakis, Chiefof Mood and Anxiety and Head ofthe Temerty Centre for TherapeuticBrain Intervention at the Centre forAddiction and Mental Health (CAMH),and Professor of Psychiatry at theUniversity of Toronto.If you are interested in attendingthis year's Psychiatry ResearchDay, please contact Ms. MeganBellefontaine atMegan.Bellefontaine@dal.ca orcheck your emails for a registrationform.www.psych.dal.ca5
Education ReportBY MS. ANNETTE COSSAR, ADMINISTRATOR, EDUCATIONmeet an educator: dr. sherry jamesMeet an Educator is a recurring article in the Education Report of Headlines. In this issue we profile Dr. Sherry James,assistant professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Associate Program Director and Director of Fellowship andSubspecialty Training Programs. If you are interested in being profiled in an upcoming publication, please contact Ms.Annette Cossar at Annette.Cossar@nshealth.ca.Current education/teachinginterests: I recently started thesecond year of my role as assistantpostgraduate education director anddirector of fellowship & subspecialtytraining, which has required alot of learning about the role andresponsibilities over the last year. Iam primarily responsible for matterspertaining to our first year psychiatryresidents, and help coordinate therecruitment and experiences offellows and subspecialty residents.I also assist Dr. Mark Bosma,postgraduate director, with otherresidency program operations andinitiatives. We’ve recently reviewedand refreshed the didactic curriculum,including the introduction of a newclinical interviewing skills series,which we are excited about. I ama primary supervisor of psychiatryresidents completing their six-monthrotations in outpatient care, which isone of my favourite things to do. I amtypically involved with undergraduateand graduate clinical exams andteaching each year, and try to tutornew activities whenever possible.Preferred method of teaching orcurriculum delivery: I prefer theteaching that happens in my clinicalpractice each day with residentsand other learners. I enjoy teachingaround cases longitudinally through6www.psych.dal.caDr. Sherry Jamesthe initial assessment and ongoingmanagement of patients, and seeinglearners develop their clinical skills atevery stage of patient care.A typical “Day in Your Work Life”:There is quite a lot of variety in mywork days, which I like very much.Most of my time is spent assessingand treating patients in a communitymental health setting, where I alsosupervise residents, and discussclinical care with my team. Mypostgraduate education role hasbrought with it many meetings, soI am regularly in meetings with theeducation team, residents and faculty,often requiring travel between sites.It is a bit tricky sometimes juggling myclinical, teaching and administrativeresponsibilities, but it is alwaysstimulating and I wouldn’t change it.The most satisfying aspects ofdoing academic work: I feel quitesatisfied as I see residents become
more confident in their knowledgeand clinical skills during their trainingwith us here at the clinic, and whenthe broader resident group is pleasedwith a program change that I haveplayed a part in making.The most frustrating: What I findmost frustrating is that it is oftendifficult to find time to be able to dosomething new to freshen up therotations/learning experiences forresidents due to clinical demands. Wehave so many enthusiastic facultywho would like to help in this processif there was more time.Your education/academic mentor:Ms. Judith Linton hired me in myfirst professional position at GeorgeBrown College fresh out of graduateschool, very “green” to the work, andmore than 20 years younger thanmost of my colleagues in the field. Iwas scared, but she was not, and sheencouraged me to trust and developmy skills. Judi was a huge support inhelping me to launch my career. I amgrateful that a number of excellentpsychiatrists in our department haveinfluenced me over the past 10 years.Dr. Keri-Leigh Cassidy modeledhow to seamlessly integrate learnersinto her daily practice and offeredtimely and meaningful feedback.She respects learners’ strengths andchallenges them to use and growthem. I wanted to someday be asupervisor like that. Dr. Cassidy coulduse the smallest pockets of time toinitiate tasks or teach, and I aspiredto replicate that. I believe I am muchmore flexible in my work and a muchbetter “juggler” of tasks because ofher example. Most importantly,
News from the Department of Psychiatry at Dalhousie University HEADLINES Meet the class of 2020 New PGY-1 residents welcomed to department On July 1, 2015 the Class of 2020 began their postgraduate training in the Department of Psychiatry. Among the seven PGY-1s are four graduates from Dalhousie Medical School, one from the University of
Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia B3H 3J5 PRODUCED BY Dalhousie University Communications and Marketing CONTRIBUTORS . blared in headlines across the country. Newspapers announced this would be the coldest, snowiest winter Canada has seen in years, thanks to La Niña. It
Kevin Quigley, PhD, Dalhousie University Corresponding Author E-mail: kevin.quigley@dal.ca John Quigley, PhD, University of Strathclyde Emily Pond, Dalhousie University Colin Macdonald, Dalhousie University 5/27/2012
Dalhousie Pain Research Day Schedule of Events – May 9, 2014 Marion McCain Arts & Social Sciences Building 6135 University Ave Dalhousie University 1:00 – 3:00 Poster set-up 3:00 – 5:00 Poster viewing and judging (trainees are eligible for cash awards) 5:00 – 5:15 Welcome - Dr. Pat McGrath, Integrated VP Research, CDHA and IWK .
– to Pro Bono Dalhousie: the organization has an institutional reputation to protect and must maintain ongoing relationships with its partners – to the Schulich School of Law and Dalhousie University: both institutions are concerned to serve the public and can hold
Health Research. Thanks for this, Kristin, and welcome to the Dal political science community. Graduate Society of Political Science By Alex Wilner The Dalhousie Graduate Society of Political Science (DGSPS) is a student-run society that supports the activities and interests of Dalhousie Universit
Jennifer Llewellyn, Dalhousie University (Halifax) David Bolger, University of Ottawa (Ottawa) From Jian Gomeshi to Dalhousie Dentistry, to the Canadian military, to university sports teams, incidents of violence, harassment and bullying have dominated media headlines and captured national attention. Industry
Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia . the controversial findings made global headlines and news broadcasts around the world. Below, we share some reflections from William Barker, the President of the University of King’s College. L Ast mArch, we lost an enliven-
Alfredo López Austin (1993:86) envisioned the rela - tionship between myth, ritual, and narrative as a triangle, in which beliefs occupy the dominant vertex. They are the source of mythical knowledge
